Russians, U.S. Exploring Massive Spy Swap

July 7, 2010

Page 2 of 3

Pelaez's husband, Juan Lazaro, allegedly made a statement to U.S. authorities when he was arrested almost two weeks ago admitting to have worked as a spy for Russia and pledging his allegiance to the Russian government.

Lazaro's attorney Genesis Paduto told ABC News that her client denies ever making such statements. Paduto said Lazaro is innocent.

Paduto said she first heard of the "spy swap" in the newspapers today and is not aware of any proposal by the Russian government.

It is unclear what would happen to the American-born children of the accused Russian spies. They all have U.S. citizenship and some of them are over the age of 18 and presumably would have to agree to being sent to Russia.

The Russian Embassy could not be reached for comment on this story.

Igor Sutyagin

The family of Igor Sutyagin said that he is part of a group of convicted spies Russia will exchange for the alleged Russian spies arrested in the U.S. last week. The scientist is to be released tomorrow, he says as part of a deal in which 11 prisoners from Russia will be traded for 11 in the U.S., including some or all of the suspected Russian agents in the U.S.

"[Sutyagin] said that the list was 11 people from here, 11 from there, one for another," his brother Dmitry told ABC News.

Sutyagin, a weapons specialist, was arrested in 1999 and convicted of spying in 2004, sentenced to 15 years in prison. He is accused of passing nuclear secrets to a British company Russia believed to be a front for the CIA.

He has long denied the charge but one of the conditions of the exchange was signing a confession, which his family says has gutted him.

"He does not admit that he's a spy," his mother Svetlana said. "He is doing this to save his family because if he refuses his family will suffer. On top of that he knows what it's like to be imprisoned, he knows what will happen to those 11 who are in the States now. That's why he doesn't want them to be in prison. If there's a chance of saving both his family and them, he'll leave the country."

Sutyagin's brother said there was no other option, "our special services unfortunately know how to make life impossible in this country."

"Igor was given the clear understanding that he didn't have any other choice. If he said no, the deal would fall apart...," said Dmitry Sutyagin.

No Comment from U.S. State Department

Neither the U.S State Department nor the Russian Foreign Ministry have commented on Sutyagin's pending release. The New York Times reported Wednesday that the U.S. government was discussing a possible solution with the suspected spies' lawyers in order to prevent lengthy trials.

Of the prisoners supposedly requested by the U.S, Sutyagin only remembered one name from a list he was shown – Colonel Sergei Skripal.

Skripal was convicted of high treason in 2006, sentenced to 13 years in prison for allegedly accepting $100,000 to reveal the identities of Russian agents in Europe to Great Britain's MI6 secret service.

On Tuesday, with little warning, Sutyagin was brought to Moscow from his prison in Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, Sutyagin's lawyer said in an interview.